Written by Dr. John Carosso
Reading issues are frustrating for both children and parents. If you your child is struggling, and you have concerns about dyslexia, this post covers signs of dyslexia, and effective treatment options.
What is Dyslexia?
I am often asked by parents to assess their child for dyslexia this process usually leads to a discussion about the nature of dyslexia, and how a parent can help.
‘Dyslexia’ vs a ‘Learning Disability’
Dyslexia (disorder of reading) and Dysgraphia (disorder of writing) are two conditions that are often labeled by school districts, more generally, as a “Specific Learning Disability”. In fact, over 90% of students classified as having a ‘Specific Learning Disability’ (and given an IEP) are classified because they have dyslexia.
Runs in the family
Dyslexia is almost always inherited and can greatly interfere with a child’s ability to make progress in school.
More than just a reading disorder
Dyslexia is, essentially, a problem decoding words. However, these kiddo's are quite intelligent and capable, but struggle with that specific task of sounding-out words. However, dyslexia, more broadly, is also a problem with the processing of language; kids have difficulty processing the sequence of sounds that comprise spoken words. Consequently, you get words like “psghetti” and “amninal.” Interesting, these kiddos sometimes genuinely don’t ‘hear’ themselves saying the words incorrectly so it’s difficult for them to self-correct. Moreover, they also struggle with visually processing the specific sounds. Consequently, they may read “gut” for “glut” and so on.
The foundation of treatment
All of the effective strategies are based in a ‘multi-sensory’ approach that incorporates, in the learning process, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses. In that respect, a child may be shown the word, asked to say the word, hear it spoken by the teacher, write the word on paper, and write the word or letter (using his finger) on a rough surface. Consequently, the child is receiving varied feedback (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) regarding how that word looks, sounds, feels, and is written.
The Orton-Gillingham approach is commonly used, and incorporates this multi-sensory approach.
Get help at DyslexiaTreaters.com
We are pleased to announce our online tutoring program through the Dyslexia Diagnostic and Treatment Center. Ms. Taylor Cole, our online Reading Specialist, knowledgeable in Orton-Gillingham approaches, is available for convenient online sessions. You can sign up for news, tips, and discount offers and arrange a 30 minute free introductory session with Ms. Cole at DyslexiaTreaters.com.
